News of the Day

CSEA Executive Vice President Mary E. Sullivan fires up the crowd, taking down the house by calling it like it is, at the Working People’s Day of Action in NYC.

CSEA takes action, stands with thousands
CSEA members across the state gathered in New York City, Buffalo and Albany recently for the Working People’s Day of Action, just a few of the numerous, coordinated actions across the country planned as the Supreme Court hears opening arguments for Janus v. AFSCME. A ruling in favor of Janus could overturn 40 years of precedent and threatens to take away critical union resources. “Brothers and Sisters, we are here today to tell them that they will NOT succeed. That we are not going anywhere. The road ahead will not be easy but no matter the obstacles ahead, we cannot and will not abandon our heritage and dishonor those who fought and died so we have this right to be union,” said Executive Vice President Mary Sullivan. Follow this and other developments viaFacebook , Twitter(@csealocal1000) and the Work Force newspaper online.

PESH cites City of Watertown for violations related to member’s on-the-job death
The State Department of Labor’s Public Employee Safety and Health (PESH) Bureau recently issued citations against the City of Watertown for violations of safety laws that contributed to the on-the-job death of Sewage Treatment Plant Process Worker and Jefferson County Local member Gregory Eliopoulos.
While on the evening shift at the city’s sewage treatment plant on Nov. 20, 2017, Eliopoulos, 54, when he passed away from injuries he sustained after an energized high-pressure hydraulic line feeding a filter press machine, when the fitting came off the machine and struck him.Read more

CSEA New York State Canal Corp. members ratify agreement
CSEA members employed by the ew York State Canal Corp. decisively ratified a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement.Read more

CSEA Metropolitan Region President Lester Crockett (back row, left) joins state Department of Taxation and Finance (NYC) Local members in paying tribute to Echol Cole and Robert Walker via “I AM” signs similar to those used by the Memphis, Tenn. sanitation workers during their 1968 strike. Not shown, but joining Crockett and the workers, was Statewide Secretary Denise Berkley. Photo by David Galarza

March Work Force: I AM: Worker safety helps unions stay strong
The March Work Force is available to read online. In this edition, we focus on the 50th anniversary of the work site deaths of Memphis sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker, and how we are still working for safe and healthy workplaces. Also in this edition, public employees never quit at keeping you safe during severe weather, our CSEA/VOICE child care workers work with a coalition to improve access to affordable child care, a look at what you can lose under Janus v. AFSCME Council 31 and much more.Read the e-book editionCSEA Work Force website

Moment of Silence: Remembering Echol Cole and Robert Walker
Civic leaders, faith leaders, community activists, public works departments and union members, including our CSEA and AFSCME brothers and sisters, stood in solidarity and silence with one another to honor the sacrifice of fallen sanitation workers Echol Cole and Robert Walker on Feb 1. Watch how this action rippled through our entire nation, spreading awareness and honoring the sacrifices made by public service workers every day, showing the reach and power of solidarity.
On Feb. 1, 1968, Cole and Walker huddled in the back of their truck to seek shelter from a storm. Suddenly, the truck’s compactor malfunctioned, trapping Cole and Walker and crushing them to death. The tragedy triggered the strike of the city’s 1,300 AFSCME sanitation workers, who had warned the city about the dangerous equipment. Fed up with poverty wages and racial discrimination, they walked off the job and marched under the banner: I AM A MAN. A few months later, The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. would be assassinated in Memphis while defending their labor and civil rights.
Take the pledge to honor their memory and sacrifice, as we pick up the mantle from the 1968 strikers in the ongoing fight for racial and economic justice.

2018 leave accrual sheets now available
Leave accrual sheets for state employees and other CSEA members are now available. Leave accruals are an important contractual benefit that we negotiate for you. You can help guarantee the accuracy of your individual accruals by tracking your leave activities throughout the year.Download sheets

Click on the photo to view this chart to cold and heat-related illnesses in a larger size.

Stay safe while working in extreme weather
As most of New York state continues to face extremely cold temperatures and severe winter weather conditions, many of you are facing working for extended periods in cold environments, including those of you who serve as highway crew members, sanitation workers, maintenance and grounds employees, parks workers, public works employees and emergency/first response employees. If you work in a cold environment, you may be at risk of cold stress.
Here are some links from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) detailing the symptoms of cold stress and how you can ensure your employer properly protects you while you’re on the job.OSHA Cold Stress guideOSHA Quick Card: Protecting Workers from Cold StressOSHA: winter Weather and cold stress

Learn to clean up safely after severe weather
Many of you are facing cleanup after this weekend’s severe weather. It’s important to know what you need to safely clean damage at your work sites, communities and homes. Our Occupational Safety and Health Department has numerous resources at hand to help guide you in safely cleaning up damage from your homes, including our free Clean-Up Safety smartphone App that you can download on iTunes or the Google Play Store.
We also have numerous fact sheets on our Flood and Storm Clean-Up Information page, many of which have been shared on our CSEA Local 1000 and CSEA NY Retiree Facebook pages. We also have a Flood Clean-Up Safety flier available for download.

Click on image to watch a message from AFSCME International Secretary-Treasurer Elissa McBride.

Statement of CSEA President Danny Donohue on Janus v. AFSCME
“It’s no surprise that the Supreme Court has announced it will hear the case of Janus v. AFSCME. This case is nothing more than a crusade to weaken unions by people with a lot of money. Their goal remains taking away rights, benefits, and pay from hardworking Americans.
Regardless of this case, CSEA members will do what we have always done: have conversations about what it means to stand together. If the Supreme Court decides to change 40 years of their own precedent, we will work that much harder to make sure working people have the freedom to negotiate for everything they deserve so they can continue to provide for their families.Read the full statement

CC-BY-SA-3.0/Matt H. Wade at Wikipedia

Read This Week in Albany
The latest edition of This Week in Albany is available to read online by clicking the link below.Read more

CSEA member Ted Forker cuts electric bill to nearly zeroWatch this video about Ted Forker’s recent decision to go solar with CSEA and American Solar Partners and how it was a game changer for his family!

Earn your college degree for FREE with AFSCME!
Want your college degree? With AFSCME’s new Free College Benefit, you can make that happen at NO cost! AFSCME has partnered with Eastern Gateway Community College to earn an online degree from an accredited school! To learn more about this exciting benefit, visit freecollege.afscme.org or call 1-888-305-5534.Download flier